Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi,
Has anyone had the same problem of tomato flowers not setting (different varieties in a cold greenhouse)- I am only getting a few sets on each truss. I guess it must be the cold damp weather but does anyone have any suggestions to aid pollination. SHould I be out there with a paint brush ?
Would welcome any advice otherwise we are going to have a very poor harvest.
Thanks
Hilary

Hi Hilary

If you shake the plants somehow when the flowers are open - middle of the day, that should be enough o get the pollen moving around to set the fruit. Our tomatoes are trained up strings which are tied up to a strained horizontal wire. I just shake the wire when I'm about, to set all the plants dancing (30 in each row). It seems to work.

Mole

I'm having a very bad tomato year too. Particularly Brandywine, which I have in the GH and out on the south-facing patio, have hardly set any fruit at at all. The flowers go brown and fall off even though I am constantly shaking the plants to aid pollination.

I'm trying new varieties (for me new) this year but the only plants which are doing well are the tried and tested Harzfeuer, a German variety, seeds from Lidl, which I have been growing for several years with great yields.

All my outdoor tomatoes have masses of green fruit, but the one's in the greenhouse have very little indeed. I would have thought it would be the other way round.

Thanks everyone - I will go out and shake them all about. Funnily enough it is the brandywine which have the least fruit on them and Harbinger the best. I was thinking of not bothering with Brandywine next year but may give them another try.
Heigh ho -
Hilary